Chapter nine: A Helping Hand

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Notes: Sorry I haven't added to this for a hell of a long time. I've just been damn busy. I have a lot of stuff to prepare for, and I have a new brother to take care of.

It had been two weeks since Rogue's imprisoning. She still hadn't told Magneto anything at all. His men had been doing unspeakable things to her. Things that she couldn't even bear to think about, other wise she would go into fits of screams.

Rogue slowly felt her sanity slipping away. She knew she was very weak. She had lost a lot of blood, and a lot of hope along with it.

Magneto was realizing this as well. And with every cut of Rogue's skin, he knew he was getting closer and closer to what he wanted. It wouldn't be long now before the X-men were completely vulnerable to him. Once that was finished, he would have no use for Rogue. Not now that she's battered and bruised. He knew it would take time and money to repair her to her full potential. One of which, he just didn't have.

After a week of being held on the machine, being fed nothing but bits and pieces of dry bread, Magneto knew Rogue didn't have enough strength in her to fight back any longer. So he confined her to a small, lightless room where she spent hours and hours, hiding from, and contemplating the darkness that had befallen her.

Some of the most familiar and scary thoughts were always involved with the x-men.

'How about if they aren't looking for you Rogue? What if they don't even care that your gone?!' Rogue sometimes heard this thought in her head. The scary but though wasn't the fact that it was a very likely possibility, it was that the voice inside her head was not her own. It was a raspy, tired voice. One that sounded like the husky voice of a demon. Rogue often clutched her ears when she heard this voice, and told it to go away. One day, it said something different.

'Rogue? Rooooogue? Are you there?' It asked with an evil snicker. Rogue curled up in a little ball and mentally told it to go away.

'I can't go away Rogue. You created me.' I growled at her angrily this time. Rogue told it no, and tried to drown the voice out by humming a random mix of tunes together.

'YES! You listen here Rogue; I know everything that you know. You know the x-men are just sitting there on their lazy fat asses. If you want to get out of here, your going to have to do it by your fucking self!!!' I screamed at her.

"What?" Rogue sniffled and asked out loud.

'Oh, you ARE listening. That's good.' It chuckled.

Rogue finally sat up and glanced around.
"Ahre ya really talking to me?!" She asked loudly.

'Well no shit. Yes, I am talking to you Rogue. Who the hell else do you think can hear me?!' It said angrily. This time, in the background she could hear a few screams. They weren't real normal screams like you hear everyday, not like when children play tag. No.. this was more like the sound of somebody who had their hand stuck in a blender.

A few more tears ran down her cheek and she curled up again. She clenched her fists and bit down hard on her tongue.

"Ah must have gone plum crazy, sittin here talking to mahself. Get it together Rogue." She sobbed a little.

'Hey you sobby bitch! Don't piss out on me now!' It screamed at her. Rogue sobbed louder and rubbed her eyes. This alone took a great amount of strength.

"Who the hell are you?!" She screamed. She dug what was left of her nails into her skin in a violent jerk of fear. Maybe, she thought, she had gone completely bonkers.

'Name's General Conner, at your service.' It chuckled a little; the voice was swelled with pride.

"Ah're.. ah're ya gonna help me?" She sniffled a little.

'Kiddo, by the time I get done with ya, ya wont need it. Now get yer ass up!!!' General Conner growled.

Rogue tried to, but she fell down with a thundering crash. She sobbed a little more and said that she couldn't do it.

'That is bullshit! You can do whatever you think you can! That bastard hasn't broken you yet, but he will if you don't get your fucking ass up!!!!!!' He growled the loudest he ever had before this time. But it certainly wouldn't be the last time he spoke this loud.

It took Rogue a few more times before she finally stood up. A few sounds flew into the air; most of them were cracks and pops. Rogue groaned loudly.

'Good girl. Now commence battle training level 102.' He demanded.

Rogue chuckled a little sarcastically. She shook her head and smirked arrogantly, "Yeah raght. You know Conner; you're nuttier than squirrel shit! Ah can barely stand. Plus, what tha hell makes ya think I'll even remember that?!"

'Humph,' He scoffed 'I suppose you're right. Oh well, I guess you'll just have to live, or die with the guilt.' The General said in a tone that much reminded Rogue of Pietro.

"What guilt?" She asked back in the same tone.

'The quilt of knowing that you killed your friends by ratting them out.' He said bluntly.

"Ya listen here ya sonofabitch! Ah aint gonna rat out the X-men, not now, not ever!!" Rogue growled confidently.

'Is that so? Then what the hell are you standing around for! Start the fucking training or your ass is grass!' He yelled.

Rogue groaned a little reluctantly. She wasn't sure is she was capable of doing this. She hadn't seen herself in a while, but she knew that she didn't look good. A week of torchure'll do that to you if you underestimate it.

So she began the training session. Most of this one was just punches and kicks. That, she was very thankful for. Bur her body was in very bad shape, every time she moved her muscles ached like nothing else she'd ever felt before. Apart from being stabbed through the chest of corse.

Rogue didn't know how long she had been practicing those moves with Conner screaming at her before the door was flung open. Rogue cringed as the light hit her skin and she backed right into the corner.

'Oh this is just perfect. How pathetic. Fucking coward!' The general yelled at her again.

A hooded figure stepped through the door. Rogue soon recognized it as the miserable looking blonde woman who had handed Magneto his briefcase full of torchur devices.

"Come ta torchur me some more?" Rogue said confidently. The woman dropped to her knees next to Rogue. She was still wearing the small black mask and she had tears in her eyes.

"Oh dear, I am so sorry for what they have done to you. I want to help you now." The woman cried.

"Help me?! How tha hell are ya gonna help me?!" Rogue yelled and swung at her violently (and missed).

"Rogue, I know of your power. I am a mutant as well. I want you to use my powers to escape." She explained.

"Why don't ya just use them to escape yaself?" Rogue asked.

"Because I don't have enough strength left. If I tried to control it, I would surely die."

"Wha-what about you?" Rogue stuttered.

"Rogue, you don't have to strength, nor the time. I know you're tired of hearing this but you have no idea how important you are." The Woman said and gripped her face with her gloved hands.

"I have foreseen something. Your friends will need you. Promise me you'll leave me behind Rogue!" The woman jerked her face.

"Who ahre ya?" Rogue choked out in a sob and nodded.

The woman released her grip on Rogue's face and said, "They call me Ms. Marvel. There's no time to lose. Magneto sent me in here to come and get you for more torchur. You have to move now Rogue!!! Are you ready?"

Rogue nodded again and sat up. Ms. Marvel grabbed her face; Rogue saw the pain in her eyes as the pull began. It didn't last long before the woman passed out. She wasn't sure if she was dead or not, but Rogue had made a promise. She stood on her feet, and slowly crept to the door.

YaY!!! I finally added more! Some of you are most likely crumpled into dust from waiting so long, and I'm sorry. I'll update as soon as I can, but no promises



-Kayko